Getting started with matplotlib

The matplotlib library is one of the most popular and widely supported Python plotting libraries. Although matplotlib is inspired by MATLAB, it is independent of MATLAB. Similar to other Python libraries that we have been using, it is an open source Python library. The matplotlib library assists in creating 2D plots from simple lines of code from easy to use built-in functions and methods. The matplotlib library is extensively used in Python-based applications for data visualization and analysis. It utilizes NumPy (the short form of numerical Python) and SciPy (short form of scientific Python) packages for mathematical calculations for the analysis. These packages are major dependencies for matplotlib including freetype and pyparsing. Make sure that you have these packages preinstalled on your system if you are using any other installation methods besides the ones mentioned in the next section. You can obtain more information about the matplotlib library from...